Knitting machine



Nov. 1s, 1930. J,L.LE'GOR'RE 1,782,007

KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 6, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l 10a 1004 10.2: WITNESSES I NVEN TOR:

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ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 18, 1930. J. L. LE GORRE. 6 1,782,007

KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 6. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG; H;

TORNEYS.

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KNITTiNG MACHINE Filed April 6. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNESSES E 75 INVENTOR:

' Bglimz ZOZZZSL Gorre, g a; v 2 W Y ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 18, 1930' JEAN LOUIS LE GDRRE, F YGRK, PENNSYLVANIA KNITTING MAGHINE This invention relates to knitting machines, more particularly to flat knitting machines such as are used in producing fashioned hosiery and wherein a series of spring heard needles are actuated en massewith formation of successive courses of fabric loops.

' beards in lieu of t e continuous presser bars ordinarily used in flat knitting machines, and

through provision of means for selectively controlling the activity of the pressers and aim performance of the corresponding neeles.

Other objects and advantages will be manifest from the detailed description which follows of the typical embodiment of this invention shown in the drawings, whereof Fig. l is a part cross sectional view of my improved knitting machine.

Fig. .11 shows a fragmentary part plan view of one end of the organization.

Fig. 111 is a diagrammatic view showing the surface developmentvof a rotary control cylinder whereby the activity of the needle heard pressers is controlled, with the needles in juxtaposition.

Fig. IV shows mechanism to govern intermittent rotation of the control cylinder in opposite directions to predetermine the character of the fashioning; and,

Fig. V shows the lower or foot portion of a stocking blank capable of being produced by the machine.

As herein depicted, the spring beard needles are serially arranged and clamped in a bar 11 for movement up and down en masse by suitable means (not shown) which may be of the kind ordinarily employed in machines of the class to which my invention pertains, with attendant knitting, by said needles, of successive courses of plain fabric. Cooperating with the needles 10 are sinkers 12 and dividers 13 which will be observed as of the conventional variety, and which are shown as guided in individual grooves of a fixed supporting head 14 for horizontal sliding movement toward and away "from the needles 10, said sinkers 12 and dividers'l3 bcing of course alternately arranged in the to head 14 after common practice. 7 The sinkers 12 are progressively advanced in properly coordinated relation to the travel of the main and auxiliary yarn feeds, respectively shown at 15, 16 and '17, to depress the yarn between adjacent pairs of the needles 10, throughthe medium of pivoted jacks 18 which are actuated by a slur cook 19. Immediately after each traverse of the yarn feedslb, 16 and 17 across the needles 10, the dividers 13 are simultaneously advanced to uniformly distrlbute the yarn previously measured in the sinkers 12 between all the needles 10, y a catchhar 20-211 as thoroughl understood by skilled knitters; The machine may be further equipped with Welting mechanism, narrowing points and control mechanism therefor, for the purposes of producing the double garter tops of the stockings, and shaping the leg, and the toe point of the foot. However, ,since such devices and their operation are well known in the art, it is not deemed necessary to show or describe them in detail herein.

In carrying out my invention with the well known elements atoredescrihed as aids, I individually associate with the needles 10 beard pressers 21 which may be struck from thin sheet metal with provision of rounded frontal projection 22 adapted to engage the boards of the corresponding needles 10 as they descend to draw their -iabric loops. The several beard presscrs 21 are lodged in the head 14, in the intervals between the sinkers l2 and the dividers 13,-with capacity for independ- 9 5 ent horizontal reciprocation relative to the needles 10, see Figsll and III. The beard pressers 21 are moreover provided with notches 23. in their upper edges for engagement by depending extremities of coordiwe nated actuating instrumentalities 24 which, for convenience of nomenclature, I term actuating fingers. As shown, these actuating fingers 24 are of angular form and mounted for independent rocking movement. on a common fulcrum axis 25 secured at opposite ends in brackets 26 risingfrom the cap piece 14 of the head. 14. A plate 27secured by screws 28 to the cap piece 14 has depending spring prongs 29, one for each actuating finger 24 to maintain the horizontal extremity 24 thereof yieldingly in surface contact with a control cylinder 30. This cylinder 30 is rotatably supported in appropriate stationary bearings'afforded by or secured to themachine frame, not illustrated, and, as shown in Figs. I and II, has surface variations as a consequence of interrupted circumferential depressions 31 in registry with the actuating fingers 24. As instanced in Fig. III, the several depressions 31 range in size from mere notches to grooves extending nearly all the way around the cylinder 30, the circumferential extent of said depressions determining the period of inactivity of the beardpressers 21 and the corresponding needles 10 in so far as stitch formation by the latter is concerned. To predetermine formation, for example, of heel tabs, such as shown at HH in Fig. V, at opposite 'side edges of a. stocking blank S produced on the machine, the surface depressions 31 of the control cylinder 30 are arranged after the specific manner disclosed in Fig. III. As there conventionally represented, the depressions 31 begin in the region of a longitudinal blank interval along a line cd, which will hereinafter be referred to as the starting line, with groups 31 gradually and symmetrically decreasing in circumferential extent inwards from the blank ends 30 of the cylinder 30 and meeting with an intermediate group. 31 of grooves, which are all of the same circumferential extent, interrupted only by the blank interval. The

; depressions 31 of the cylinder 30 included in the groups 31 are assigned to control a corresponding group of fashioning needles 1O near each end of the needle bed which are employed in knitting the heel tabs HH, one such group of fashioning needles being also shown in Fig, II; while the intervening notches 31 are relegated to control the intermediate set of needles designated 10. The

latter needles 10 may be referred to as the instep needles,and, as will be morefully explained presently, are maintained idle incidental to the fashioning of the heel tabs I-I-H of Fig. V by narrowing and widening. With the described arrangement, it will be apparent that when the longitudinal blank s ace or startin line 0-d lies opposite the horizontal extremities 24 of the actuating fingers 24, the pressers 21 will all be in advanced position to close the beards of the needles 10. But, directly upon initiation of rotary progression of the cylinder 30 in the direction of the arrow thereon, in Fig. III, the needles of the group 10 will be simultanenously rendered idle as regards loop formation. If stepwise progression of the cylinder 30 is thereafter contin uedstill in the same direction-the needles in the two groups 10' will be rendered inoperative, one by one, until all are out of action substantially at the end of a complete revolution, the idled needles however retaining their old loops in all cases. Now, if at this stage, the direction of rotation of the cylinder 30 is reversed. it naturally follows that the fashioning needles in the groups 10 will be successively reinstated until at the end of the reverse rotation when the longitudinal starting line or blank space c-d is brought back to position opposite the ends 24 of the lingers 24, all of the needles 10 and 10 will again be permitted to function. To secure the proper fullness in the heel cheeks beyond the diagonal sutures N, I employ afew extra needles 10 in addition to the fashioning groups 31"; these needles 10 being continuously active by virwe of the blank spaces 30 around the ends of thecylinder 30. In this way I am able to produce the fashioned heel cheeks H-H, of Fig. V, with diagonal sutures N-N simulating those of seamless stockings knit or circular machines.- I

To govern intermittent reverse rotation of the control cylinder 30 as just explained, I provide the mechanism depicted in Fig. IV. This mechanism comprises a wheel 35 having peripheral teeth corresponding in numberto that of the needles 10 in each of the fashioning groups 10, and secured to the axis 32 of the control cylinder 30 at one end. The wheel 35 is adapted to be picked, a tooth at a time, in opposite directions, byv selectively controllable opposing spring -pressed pawls 36, 37 which are pivotally attached respectively to the ends of arms 38, 39 mounted for independent oscillation upon the cylinder axis 32 at the far side of the wheel 35, over banking ofthe latter being prevented by a detent 35. By meansof links 40, 41 the arms 38, 39 are connected for simultaneous actuation by a slide 42 confined for vertical reciprocation in a fixed guide 43. At its lower end, the slide 42 carries a roller 45 which runs on the peripher of a rotary cam 46 fixed on a shaft 47. T is shaft 47 may be the main cam-shaft of the knitting ma-- chine orone driven in unison therewith. Selective control! of the pawls 36, 37 is bad throu h means including a cam drum 50 with two circumferential rises 51, 52 in different vertical planes. A pair of spring pulled levers 53, 54 with their inwardly bevelled free ends 53, 54, lying in the 'ath of the cirthe medium of links 56, 57, with arms 58,

59 mounted for independent oscillation on the cylinder axis 32 at the'rear side of the toothed wheel 35. in the illustration. The arms 58, 59 are formed with cam projections 60, 61 to under-ride pins 36*, 37 extending laterally from the two pawls 36, 37. The cam drum 50 is intermittently progressed in the direction of the arrow in Fig. III through picking of a ratchet 63 mounted therewith on the same shaft, by a constantly reciprocating gravity pawl. 65. This pawl 65 is pivoted to one end of a slide rod 66 having longitudinal guidance in a pair of fixed bearings 67, 68 and equipped at the opposite end with a roller 69 which is held in contact with a second rotary cam 70 on the shaft 47 by a spring 71 in compression between the bearings 68 and a collar 72 on said slide rod. The ratchet wheel 63 has just twice as many teeth as there are on the wheel 35 (and hence twice as many as there are needles in the banks 10"), and at one point has a blank space 63 in which the pawl 65 normally pla s idly back and forth, while the cam ends o'the levers 53, 54 are at the same time occupying the interval 73 between the two rises 51, 52 on the cam drum 50 with both the pawls 36, 37 held inoperative by the cam projections 60, 61 of the arms 58, 59.

The operation of the mechanism of Fig. IV is as follows :As just stated, the pawl 65 is normally ineffective upon the ratchet wheel 63 so that the drum 50 remains quiescent with all the needles 10 in action. When fashioning of the heel tabs H of Fi V is to be commenced, the auxiliary pawl 5 is shifted forward by the timing mechanism of the machine with impartation to the ratchet wheel 63 of just sutficient movement in the direction of the arrow thereon to bring the first tooth thereof within the province of the pawl 65. Contemporaneously. with such action, the cam rise 52 of the drum 50 is advanced beneath the end 54 of the lever 54 with the result that the pawl guard arm 59 is lowered to release the pawl 37 to activity. The toothed wlieel 35 is thereupon stepped about, a tooth at a time, counter-clockwise or in the direction opposite to that of the arrow in Fig. IV through influence of the continuously revolving rotary cam 46 upon the slide 42, the drum 5O bein likewise stepped about concurrently throng successive picking of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 63 by the pawl 65. Upon rotation of the toothed wheel 35 through substantially a complete revolution and the ratchet wheel 63 through a semi-rotation, the end 54 of the lever 54 will drop oil the cam rise'52 and the end 53 of the lever 53 concurrentl mount the rise 51. The pawl 37 is there y renderedinoperative and the pawl 36 released to function in its place to step about the toothed wheel 35 in a clockwise direction or as indicated by the arrow in-Fig. IV.

The various parts of the machine are illustrated in the positions which they occupy with each operative cycle, of the mechanism of Fig. IV, the cylinder 30 controlling the needle beard pressers 21 is first rotated in one direction and then in the other to predetermine, by narrowing andwidening, fashioning of the heel cheeks H at opposite side edges of the stockingblankS vhile the needles 10 of the intermediate group are held temporarily idle. Incidental to knitting of the heel cheeks H, I of course employ the two auxiliary yarn feeds 16,17, the throw of which may be restricted to the range of the two groups 10 of fashioning needles 10 by mechanism such as ordinarily utilizedin fiat knitting machines for the purpose.

brackets 10 (Figs. II and III) at each end of the series 10 are employed only inthe knitting of the stocking leg incidental to the inder 30, or by fixed presser bars as in ordinary flat knitting machines. The beards of the needles 10 in the groups 10 (which are always active) may likewise be served by fixed presser bars 21 if-desired. The toe point '1 of the stocking S may be shaped by fashioning as conventionally indicated in Fig. V, or in any other convenient manner, as preferred.

From the foregoing it will be perceived that I have provided an extremely simple and reliable heel kn tting mechanism enabling production of complete fashioned stocking blanks S in one operation, thereby dispensing with the necessity for use of two separate machines for the purpose, as heretofore required, to the advantageof greatly decreasing the cost of production, and reducing the possibility of seconds to the very minimum. 1

While I have described my invention with attainment of advantages specific in connec- 1 til) The needles 10 comprehended by the Y 24, bearing on the blank ends 30 of the cyl- I Having thus described my invention, I

claim thereby governing the performance of corresponding needles for fashioning purposes.

2. In a flat knitting machine, a series of spring beard needles, individually-associated independently-slidable pressers to close the needle beards incidentalto loop forma-.

tion," angled actuator fingers co-ordinated with the pressers, a rotary cylinder with graduated surface depress ons adapted to rock said fingers and selectively move the pressers into and out, of active position to govern the performance of corresponding needles for fashioning purposes, and means to intermittently rotate the cylinder.

3. In a flat knitting machine, a series of spring beard needles, individually associated independently-slidable pressers to close the needle beards incidental to loop formation, angled fingers co-ordinated with the pressers, a rotary cylinder with surface variations adapted to'rock said fingers independently and selectively move the pressers into and out of active position to govern the performance of corresponding needles for fashioning purposes, and means to rotate the cylinder in opposite directions.

4:. In a flat knittingmachine, a series of spring beard needles, individually associated independently-slidable pressers to close the needle beards incidental to loop formation, spring-influenced angled-fingers coordinated with the pressers, a rotary cylinder with surface variations. instrumental to rock said fingers independently and selectively move the pressers into and out of active position to govern the performance of corresponding needles for fashioning purposes. means to rotate the cylinder 1n opposite directions, and means to automatically govern the extent of such reverse rotations of said drum.

5. In a flat knitting machlne, a series of spring beard needles, individually associated independently-slidable pressers to close the needle beards incidental to loop formation, spring-influenced angled fingers co-ordinated with the pressers, a rotary cylinder with surface variations instrumental to rock said fingers independently by co-action with the horizontal extremities thereof in selectively moving the pressers into and out of active positionto govern the performance of corresponding needles for fashioning purposes,

' graduated rections, and governing means-to automatically determine turning of said cylinder through substantially a complete revolution in each direction.

6; In a flat knitting machine, a series of spring beard needles, individually associated independentl -slidable pressers to close the needle beards incidental to loop formation, spring-influenced angled fingers co-ordinated with ,the pressers, a rotary cylinder with surface variations instrumental to rock said fingers independently by co-action with the horizontal extremities thereof in selectively moving the pressers into and out of active position to govern the performance of corresponding needles for fashioning purposes, a toothed wheel to rotate the cylinder, a palr of opposing pawls to pick the toothed wheel, and means to selectively and automatically govern said pawls in determining rotation of the cylinder in opposite directions.

In a flat stockingknitting machine, a series of spring beard needles including end groups for heel cheek fashioning and an intermediate instep group, independentlyslidable beard pressers individually associated with the needles, angled fingers coordinated with the pressers, and a stepwiserotatable cylinder having interrupted and surface depressions adapted whereby the pressers for the instep needles are temporarily withdrawn from activity while the pressers for the fashioning needles are first progressive-1y withdrawn from activity and then in a like manner reinstated in reverse order to enable fashioning, by widening and narrowing, of heel cheeks at opposite side edges of stocking blanks prodncedby the machine.

8 In a flat stocking knitting machine, a series of spring beard needles including end groups for heel cheek fashioning, and an intermediate instep group, independentlyslidable beard pressers individually associated with the needles, angled fingers coordinated with thepressers, and a rotary cylinder with surface variations instrrimental, upon stepwise rotation of said cylinder, in effecting by rocking the aforesaid angled-fingers, simultaneous withdrawal of the pressers for the instep needles from activlty while the'pressers for the fashioning needles are first progressively withdrawn and then in a like manner reinstated in reverse order to enable fashioning, by widening and narrowing, of heel cheeks at opposite side edges of stocking blanks produced. by the machine.

In a flat stocking knitting machine, a serles of spring beard needles including end groupsfor heel cheek fashioning and an intermediate instep group, independentlyslidable beard pressers individually associated with the needles, spring in uenced angled-fingers co-ordinated with the pressers, and a rotary cylinder with interruptedv surface depressions instrumental upon stepwise rotation of the cylinder in one direction in effecting by co-action with the-aforesaid angled-fingers simultaneous withdrawal of the pressers for the instep needles from activity and progressive withdrawal from activity of the pressers for the fashioning needles, and upon subsequent stepwise rotation in the opposite direction to progressively reinstate the fashioning needle'pressers in reverse order andto simultaneously reinstate the instep needle pressers to activity finally 5 to enable fashioning, by widening and narrowing,-of heel cheeks at opposite side edges of stocking blanks produced by the machine. I

;10. In a flatstocking knitting machine, a series of spring'beardneedles, including end groups employed in fashioning the legs of the stocking, groups inward of the end groups aforesaid for heel tab knitting, and an intermediate group of instep needles; independently-slidablebeard pressers individually associated with the heel fashioning and instep needle groups; spring influenced angled-fingers-co-ordinated with said pressers; and a stepwise-rotatable cylinder'with interrupted surface depressions co-active 8 with the angled-fingers and heard pressers whereby the instep needles are maintained .idle while the heel needles are progressively rendered inactive and subsequently reinstated in reverse order with production, by widening and narrowing, of heel tabs at opposite side edges of stocking blanks.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 31st day of March, 1928.

4a JEAN LOUIS LE GORRE. 

